Starz has ordered 16 episodes of Outlander, which will begin filming in Scotland this autumn. The series premiere will follow in 2014.

"That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart," said author Gabaldon. "Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and characters."

"From the very beginning, I knew the part of Jamie Fraser would be difficult to cast," added Moore. "I had no-one in mind for the part. I knew that someone would just come into the audition and be Jamie Fraser. And that's what Sam did."